Safety control for liquid fuel burners



y 1944- I J. L. BREESE 2,348,709 SAFETY CONTROL FOR LIQUID FUEL BURNERS I mm on. 12, 1940 2 Sheets-Shoot? 1%??? for JZzmes. Z. 57$

vii-5077x249? Patented May 16, 1944 2,348,709 SAFETY CONTROL FORILIQUID FUEL URNE-RS James L. Breese, Santa Fe, N. Mex, assignor to Oil Devices, Santa. Fe, N. Mex., a limited partnership of Illinois Application October 12, 1940, Serial No. 360,941

8 Claims. (Cl. 158-42.4)

My invention relates to an improvement in controls for heaters and is herein shown as applied to a space heater.

One purpose is the. provision of improved means for cutting off a liquid fuel from a liquid fuel burner in response to excess temperature.

Another purpose is the provision of improved means for cutting ofi a liquid fuel supply to a burner when the fire goes out. l

Another. purpose is the provision ofa unified control adapted to out off a. liquidfuel both at excess temperatures and when the fire inthe burner goes out.

Another purpose is the provision of control means as above set out which are adapted for ready restoration of the burner to operation.

Other purposes will appear from time to time in the course of the specification and claims.

I illustrate my invention more or less diagram matically in the accompanying drawings where- Fig. l is-a vertical axial section;

Fig. 2 is a vertical axial section on an enlarged scale illustrating the upper end of the control device;

Fig. 3 is a sectio on the line 3- -3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a vertical axial section illustrating the control valve; I

Fig. 5 is a vertical axial section on an enlarged scale illustrating a variant form of the device;

Fig. 6 is a partial section similar to Fig. 5, il-v lustrating the parts. with the valve closed;

Fig. '7 is a partial view of the parts shown in Fig. 6, illustrating them in a diiierent position; and

Fig. 8 is an enlarged section on the line 8-8 of Fig. 7.

Like parts are indicated by like symbols throughout the specification and drawings.

Referring to the drawings, I generally indicates the outer housing or shell of a space heater, which may have supporting legs 2, and an open. or partially open bottom 3, which may be surrounded, for example, by a circumferential. angle iron 4, secured to the lower inner edge of the shell I. 5 is any suitable top grille for the shell I. 6 indicatesv a burner drum having a closed top "I, with an access door 3 anda closed bottom 9.

Ill are any suitable air inlet apertures for per-.

mitting air to flow into the interior of a lower,

portion of the drum 6. It will be understood that one or more of such apertures may be employed, of any suitable formand location. H is.

an outlet flue passage extending from an upper portion of the drum 6 through the shell I, and communicating with any suitable flue or pipe l2.

I4 is an hydroxylating burner pot, having an upper flange l5 resting upon a flange or ring [8, extending inwardly from a lower portio of the wall 3. The bottom of the pot I4 is closed, as at I1, and may be made slightly concave.

i8 is any suitable oil or liquid fuel inlet passage, which has a valve housing is intermediate its ends. 20 is any suitable float valve or flow regulating device, in line with the fuel supply passage 2|, which extends from. any suitable source of fuel supply not herein shown. A plurality of primary air inlet apertures 22 are shown in thewall of the pot it. They may, for example, be arranged in a plurality of horizontal rows. Secondary air may be admitted through a top row of inlet apertures 23. 24 is any suitable centrally apertured top baffle for the pot. The details of the pot do not of themselves form part of the present invention.

Referring to the valve housing 19, it is provided with an intermediate wall 25 having in it.

any suitable valve aperture 25. It may have an upwardly extending abutment member 21, shown.

in the dotted line position of 4, to close thevalve aperture 25. The stem passes at its upper end through a central aperture in a cap or top 32 of the tube 29, and is shown with an exterior handle 33, which may extend in or through the grille 5; and which may be grasped by the operator in order to raise the valve to locking positionfrom closed position.

34 is a bimetallic strip or thermally flexible member, herein shown as secured to the exterior of an upper portion of the tube 29, as by the screw 35. It is provided with an inwardly extending elbow 36, which passes inwardly through a hole or slot 31, in an upper portion of the tube When it is in the full line position in which it is shown in Fig. 2, this inwardly extending portion 36 penetrates an aperture or notch 38 in the upper end of the valve stem'3l. 39 is any suitable abutment means for limiting the upward lifting movement of the valve stem. In the normal operation of the device, when the burner is operating at normal temperatures, the strip undesired, the strip 34 flexes to the dotted line position of Fig. 2 and the portion 36 is freed from the slot 38, and the valve stem drops by gravity into the dotted line position of Fig. 4, closing the aperture 26 and preventing any further sup- 7 ply of fuel to the burner.

In the form of Figs. 5 and following I provide a multiple control which is effective also to close the valve aperture '26 in response to temperatures below a predetermined minimum. This is effective, for example, to stop the fuel flow when the burner is entirely out. I illustrate in this event a tube 29a, which, instead of being screw I threaded, as with the tube 29, is slidable on the sliding abutment Zla of generally cylindrical shape, which extends upwardly from the valve housing l9a. The tube 29 is normall held in raised position by a thermally flexing strip 5! which is secured to the exterior of a lower portion of the tube 29a, and which has an end portion 5| extending in through a slot 52 in the tube 29a, and penetrates also an aperture 53 in the abutment 21a of the valve housing. At normal temperatures and when the burner is functioning, the strip 50 stays in the position in which it is shown in Fig. 5, and the portion 5| holds the tube 29a in the raised position in which I passage an additional Valve means, means for it is shown in Fig. 5. The bimetallic strip 34 functions as above described to control the high fire by cutting o-iT the fuel and dropping the valve stem 3| in response to a predetermined excess temperature. Rotation of the tube 29a is prevented by the pin 54, penetrating the slot 55, as shown in Figs. 5 and 8. A third bimetallic strip 56 is normally held outwardly flexed in response to the heat of combustion, as shown in Fig. 5. It has an end 51, which, when the deis shown in Fig. 5, but before it is so restored, the member 5| of the strip 5|] extends again into the aperture 53 and is effective to hold the tube 29a in raised position after the strip 56 has flexed back to its inoperative full line position of Fig. 5.

It will be realized that, whereas I have described and illustrated a practical and operative device, nevertheless many changes may be made in the size, shape, number and disposition of parts without departing from the spirit of my invention. I therefore wish my description and drawings to be taken as in a broad sense illustrative or diagrammatic, rather than as limiting me to my precise showing.

I claim:

1. In combination with a fluid fuel burner havburner and adapted to hold said valve member in inoperative position when the heat of the burner is below a predetermined critical temperature, and being adapted to return to holding position after the temperature is again lowered below said critical temperature, and means for vice is cold, penetrates the aperture 58 at the bottom of the tube 29a.

- Referring to Fig. 6, assume that the fire has gone out, the strip then flexes outwardly into the position in which it is shown in Fig. 6, and releases the portion 5| from the aperture 53 of the abutment 21a, and the entire tube drops downwardly into the lower position in which it is shown in Fig. 6, carrying with it the valve stem 3|, even though the valve stem 3| is still held in the raised position in relation to the tube 290. I

by the member 26. At the same time the strip 56 flexes in the position in which it is shown in Fig. 6, and merely abuts against the face of the abutment 21a. All fuel is cut off, and danger of flooding the burner is obviated.

When the operator Wishes to re-set the device,- he pulls up on the handle 32 and bodily raises the entire tube 29a. When he does so, the strip 55 snaps the end portion 51 into an opposed aperture 5|] of the abutment member 21a after the tube has been raised, and the tube is thereafter held in the raised position, with the valve stem 3| raised and the valve aperture 26 open. As combustion begins and the strips 50 and 56 are subjected to heat, the strip 56 is resetting the valve member.

2. In combination with a fluid fuel burner having a fuel inlet passage and means for controlling the volume of flow of the fuel through said normally holding it inoperative, and means for moving it to closed position and for thereby cutting off the fuel flow through said passage in response to an increase of the burner temperature above a predetermined critical temperature, including a movable valve element, and a heat responsive supporting means therefor and interpenetrating therewith, located adjacent the burner and adapted to hold said valve member in inoperative position when the heat of the burner is below a predetermined critical temperature, and being adapted to return to holding position after the temperature is again lowered below said critical temperature, and gravital means for mov ing said valve element to closed position when released by said heat responsive member, and means for resetting the valve member. I

3. In a control device for a fluid fuel burner having a fuel inlet passage and means for controlling the volume of flow of fuel through said passage, a valve housing having a valve aperture and seat located in the line of flow of fuel through said passage, a tube upwardly extending from said valve housing and located in close proximity to the heater, a valve rod positioned within said tube and having a valve element at the lower end thereof aligned With said valve seat, a heat responsive bimetal strip located on said tube and normally in direct interpenetrating supporting relationship with said valve rod, said valve member, when said valve rod is supported by said heat sensitive member, being .in open position, said heat responsive member being adapted, in response to a predetermined excess temperature 1 of the burner, to release said valverod for a restored to the inoperative position, in which it gravital drop to closing position.

interpenetrating supporting relationship 4. In a control device for a fluid fuel burner having a fuel inlet passage and means for controlling the volume of flow of fuel through said passage, a valve housing having a valve aperture and seat located in the line of flow of fuel through said passage, a tubular container upwardly extending from said valve housing and located in close proximity to the heater, a valve rod positioned within said tube and having a valve element at the lower end thereof aligned with said valve seat, a heat responsive bimetal strip located on said tube and normally in direct with said valve rod, said valve member, when said valve rod is supported by said heat sensitive member, being in open position, said heat responsive memb r being adapted, in response to a predetermined excess temperature of the burnor, to release said valve rod for a gravital drop to closing position, and a manually operable reset means for the valve rod.

5. In a control device for a fluid, fuel burner having a fuel inlet passage and means for controlling the volume of flow of fuel through said passage, a valve housing having a valve aperture and seat located in the line of flow of fuel through said passage, a tubular container upwardly extending from said valve housing and located in close proximity to the heater, a valve rod positioned within said tube and having a valve element at the lower end thereof aligned with said valve seat, a heat responsive member located on said tube and normally in supporting relationship with said valve rod, said valve memher, when said valve rod is supported by said heat sensitive member, being in open position, said heat responsive member being adapted, in response to a predetermined excess temperature of the burner, to release said valve rod for a gravital drop to closing position, and means for releasing said tube as a whole for downward movemerit in response to minimum temperature conditions of the burner whereby, in response to the movement of the tube, the valve rod is moved unitarily with the tube to valve closing position.

6. a control device for a fluid fuel burner having a fuel inlet passage, a valve seat in the line of flow of the fuel through said passage, a valve member, means for normally holding said valve member in open position, including a bimetallic strip in direct supporting interconnectrelationship with said valve member, said valve member being adapted to drop by gravity into valve closing position when said strip flexes to release position in response to excess heat adjacent the valve member, and additional heat responsivs means for causing said valve member to move to closed position when the temperature adjacent said valve member drops below a predetermincd minimum, said strip being adapted to hold said valve member normally in fixed inoperative position.

'i. In combination with a burner having a combustion chamber and an outer housing surrounding said combustion chamber, and a fluid fuel line extending through said outer housing to said burner, a valve seat in said fuel line located within the space between said burner and said outer housing, a valve member including a valve rod having a valve portion adapted to en age said seat, a valve control tube extending upwardly in alignment with said seat, in the space between said outer housing and said burner, said valve rod extending upwardly through said tube and having a manual control member located above the top of said tube and adjacent the top of said outer housing, and means for normally holding said valve tube and valve member in open position against gravity, including a bimetallic strip mounted on said tube and in direct supporting interconnecting relationship with said valve rod, said valve rod being adapted to drop by gravity into valve closing position when said strip flexes to release position in response to excess heat conditions.

8. In combination with a burner having a combustion chamber and an outer housing surrounding said combustion chamber, and a fluid fuel line extending through said outer housing to said burner, a valve seat in said fuel line located within the space between said burner and said outer housing, a valve member including a valve rod having a valve portion adapted to engage said seat, a valve control tube extending upwardly in alignment with said seat, in the space between said outer housing and said burner, said valve rod extending upwardly through said tube and having a manual control member located above the top of said tube and adjacent the top of said outer housing, and means for normally holding said valve tube and valve member in open position against gravity, including a bimetallic strip mounted on said tube and in direct supporting interconnecting relationship with said valve rod, said valve rod being adapted to drop by gravity into valve closing position when said strip flexes to release position in response to excess heat conditions, said valve rod and control tu-be being also bodily movable in relation to said valve seat, heat responsive means adapted normally to hold said tube in elevated position against grav ity, said tube being adapted, when said last mentioned heat responsive means moves to release position in response to a drop in temperature below a predetermined mini-mum, to move downward bodily by gravity a sufiicient distance to permit the valve member to move into valve closing relationship with the valve seat, with the bimetallic'strip still in supporting relationship with the valve rod.

JAMES L. BREESE. 

